At the age of fifty, the body undergoes many important changes. For example, the health of the heart changes as the walls of the heart thicken and the arteries begin to stiffen over time. Due to these changes, the risk of heart disease continues to increase.
One of the major risk factors for age-related heart disease is hypercholesterolemia. This can be caused by genetics, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and excessive weight gain. Thankfully, there are ways to lower your cholesterol levels with a diet.
To find out more about the relationship between food and cholesterol levels, we talked to a couple of nutritionists to get tips on eating habits that can help lower cholesterol after age 50. According to science, don’t miss the number one juice that’s perfect for drinking every day.
Now there is even more evidence that oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Water-soluble fiber in oats, fruits such as apples and pears, and many types of legumes is a nutrient that helps lower cholesterol levels.
“This is one of the biggest factors that helps lower cholesterol because it forms a gel-like substance that dissolves in water and can bind to cholesterol,” he said. Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD Author of Sports nutrition playbook“And the goal is to eat 25-38 grams of fiber a day and make 5-10 grams of those grams from soluble fiber.”
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according to Courtney Dangero, MS, RDGo Wellness Author, One of the best eating habits to lower cholesterol after age 50 is to switch from unhealthy fats to healthier fats.
“Limiting the amount of saturated fat-containing foods, such as fried foods, chocolates, and baked goods, can increase LDL (bad cholesterol) levels,” says D’Angelo.
Harvard Health “Healthy fats,” including polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, are said to help reduce the risk of illness. Dangero proposes to replace saturated and trans fats with these healthier fats that can be obtained from foods such as olive oil, canola oil, lean meat, nuts, avocados and fish.
A common mistake many Americans make is forgetting to include enough fruits and vegetables in their diet. D’Angelo also states that adequate intake of these foods is even more important if you are trying to reduce or prevent high cholesterol.
“Consistent eating of fruits and vegetables can increase important cholesterol-lowering compounds that act like water-soluble fibers, called plant stannole and sterols,” she says.
Apples are especially known to help lower cholesterol due to the particular type of water-soluble fiber they call. Pectin, Recent studies have also shown that grapes help lower LDL cholesterol and improve gut microbiota diversity.
If apples and grapes aren’t intriguing, agricultural products such as pears, apricots, avocados, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and carrots are all rich in water-soluble fiber and can help control cholesterol levels.
Losing weight in a healthy and sustainable way can also help lower cholesterol after age 50. “Research shows that losing 5-10% of your body weight can lower your total and bad cholesterol levels (LDL),” says Goodson.
To promote weight loss, Goodson suggests eating a smaller, more frequent diet that is high in fiber and protein.
It is advisable to consult your doctor first before losing weight. In this way, you can be sure that you need it and do so in the healthiest way for your body.
